Battle of Poitiers

The Battle of Poitiers, fought on 19 September 1356, was one of the most consequential engagements of the Hundred Years’ War. A French royal army under King John II of France launched a series of attacks against a smaller but well-positioned Anglo-Gascon force commanded by Edward of Woodstock, the Black Prince. Despite French numerical superiority and the presence of the king and his four sons, the French army collapsed in confusion, suffering heavy casualties and the capture of its monarch.

Background to the Campaign

The origins of the battle lie in the complex feudal relationship between the kings of England and France. Since the Norman Conquest of 1066, English monarchs held territories in France as vassals of the French crown. By the fourteenth century Gascony remained the only major English possession, yet it was economically vital: customs on Gascon wine formed the crown’s largest single revenue source.
Tensions rose in 1337 when Philip VI confiscated the English-held duchy on the pretext of Edward III’s failure as a vassal, triggering the Hundred Years’ War. After the early English victories at Crécy and Calais, both kingdoms were devastated by the Black Death, and the Truce of Calais (1347) brought temporary respite. Fighting continued intermittently, particularly in south-west France, until events in 1355–56 reopened the conflict on a grand scale.
In 1355 Edward III prepared simultaneous northern and Gascon offensives. His son Edward the Black Prince arrived in Bordeaux in September, taking command in the south-west. Reinforced by Gascon lords, he fielded an army of roughly 5,000–6,000 and launched a large chevauchée, devastating territory as far as Narbonne and returning laden with booty.
French administration under John II grew increasingly unstable: noble discontent, tax resistance in Normandy, unrest in Arras and factional crisis at court eroded morale. John arrested Charles of Navarre in April 1356, provoking further disorder. Meanwhile, English operations in Normandy under the Duke of Lancaster caused severe damage and forced John to divert attention from Edward’s preparations in Gascony.

The Road to Poitiers

On 4 August 1356 the Black Prince marched north with around 6,000 fighting men and approximately 4,000 non-combatants, all mounted for speed. By mid-August the army advanced in three columns, pillaging widely. The Anglo-Gascons reached the Loire but failed to cross due to strong French defences.
King John gathered a large and unusually mobile army, probably 14,000–16,000 strong, including substantial contingents of men-at-arms, cavalry and crossbowmen. He pursued the Black Prince’s force, finally overtaking it south of Poitiers. Edward, aware of his disadvantage, chose a strong defensive position bordered by hedges, vineyards and rising ground. Attempts at negotiation collapsed when John demanded unconditional surrender.

The French Assaults

The French planned several sequential assaults, employing both mounted and dismounted troops.
First assault: The opening attack involved two mounted formations of heavily armoured cavalry, supported by crossbowmen and infantry. The Anglo-Gascon line, fighting entirely on foot, repulsed this initial onslaught. English archers positioned behind natural cover inflicted significant disruption, and the French retreated in disorder.
Second assault: A fresh force of approximately 4,000 dismounted men-at-arms under the Dauphin, Charles, advanced. A prolonged and bitter struggle followed but eventually the Dauphin’s troops were driven back. Their withdrawal created confusion among the French third division.
Third assault: As the Dauphin’s men recoiled, Philip, Duke of Orléans, commanding the third division, misinterpreted the situation and withdrew with roughly half his force. Crucially, he took with him John’s remaining sons. Those who stayed launched a weak and poorly coordinated attack, which also failed.
Fourth assault: With much of his army dispersed, John gathered the remnants of his household troops, unfurled the Oriflamme—the sacred banner signifying no quarter—and led a final infantry assault. Exhausted Anglo-Gascon forces were gradually pressed back.

The Turning Point

Earlier in the battle the Black Prince had dispatched a small mounted detachment of about 160 men to threaten the French rear. Their sudden appearance behind the French lines at this critical moment convinced many French troops that they were surrounded. Panic spread rapidly: units fled, causing a broader collapse. The French attempt at a last stand disintegrated.
King John II, fighting bravely in the melee, was overwhelmed and captured along with his youngest son. Between 2,000 and 3,000 French men-at-arms were taken prisoner, and roughly 2,500 were killed. Depending on the source, between 1,500 and 3,800 common infantry were killed or captured. Anglo-Gascon casualties were comparatively light.
The Anglo-Gascon army then continued its withdrawal southwards towards Gascony without serious challenge.

Aftermath and Consequences

The defeat at Poitiers plunged France into crisis. With the king a prisoner, royal authority collapsed, and the following year saw widespread revolt, including the Jacquerie. Negotiations for John’s release dragged on, prompting Edward to launch the Reims campaign in 1359. Both sides eventually compromised in the Treaty of Brétigny (1360), which ceded large territories to England and set John’s ransom at three million gold écus.
Although the treaty appeared to settle the conflict, peace proved temporary. In 1369 the French crown resumed hostilities and gradually reconquered almost all lost territories, renewing the protracted struggle that would continue until the French victory of 1453.

Strategic Significance

Poitiers was the second major English battlefield triumph of the century, reinforcing the effectiveness of English defensive tactics, longbowmen and dismounted men-at-arms. The capture of a reigning French king had profound diplomatic and psychological impact. Meanwhile, deepening fiscal and political fractures within France after the battle demonstrated the fragility of royal authority during the mid-fourteenth century.